Even Grass and a Fountain Can Go Bad

At least that fountain is working. Although, let's hope so, since it is rather new.

By contrast, the fountain right in front of the former New Otani Hotel, situated at the southeast corner of First and Los Angeles Streets and next to the Starbucks, hasn't operated for years. What's that all about?

And during a prime hour of the day today I strolled by the 8 fountains that sit on either side of the Water and Power building, and, no surprise, they weren't working either. Although in that case, it's a matter of their timer switch being adjusted to "why bother?! who cares?!"

Los Angeles: hasta manana, hasta manana.

Would the developer want to put in turf for soccer play? Go take a look at LaFayette or MacArthur Park to see where that goes. A kid chases a soccer ball or basket ball out onto the street and gets run over. Who gets sued? Who pays the medical or funeral costs?

Instead of the water-consuming, high-maintenance lawn, there might have been something more interesting to look at, something that would require substantially less H2O and attract bees and birds and all of the old ladies would ooou and aaah.

Would the developer want to put in turf for soccer play?

Where did that come from? I feel that the fountain should have been left open for public use. Just because there is green grass on the westside of the 110, doesn't mean it will be used for soccer!

It does look better than that thing on 9th!

"Go take a look at LaFayette or MacArthur Park to see where that goes."

So not only does Palmer have gated communities but he has a gated fountain. C'mon, Palmer, can't you give just an inch to the public even when it's mandated?

Yeah, you're right. One of those plastic play structures or a picnic table or a couple of standard issue benches and have the area open and accessible to all. The only problem is that it all turns to crap.

If he had planted more drought tolerant perennials instead of lawn, the developer wouldn't then have had to mow the grass year round and without grass, why have an activity where people will constantly leave trash, chicken bones and graffitti? If you shoulder the expense of design and construction and maintenance, wouldn't you want to have it look as nice as possible?

But yes, we now have so many people with no recourse but to live on the street and you as a developer must accommodate one or more unfortunates right in front of your investment in housing, affordable or unaffordable as the rentals may be. You as a developer must accommodate, provide for a pile of crap! Watch out, here comes Utah...

Whenever I think of Visconti, I think of the The Damned.

As a matter of fact, Palmer would do better to name them all Il Duce or Machiavelli and be done with it.

Rather then a wasteful fountain and water sucking grass, a better idea would have been some pathways with several benches surrounded by nice drought resistent vegitation.

Yes, a semi-drought tolerant Eden for the damned. A dessicated Shangrila for the dispossed. But it must have an ADA compliant fountain so that they can strip themselves, force the public to watch while they bathe and wash themselves, amidst the dog turds, the piles of chicken bones and last year's edition of the Downtown News, adrift on the breeze.

This fountain makes me laugh. The fence around it is no doubt in place because of liability issues, such as in case Desert Bruin were to fall in and drown, no one could sue Mr. Palmer.

I see soapsuds in this waterwork's future. And often.

Dorothy Day might have.

I'm sure we'll all be unimpressed watching you bathe, Will.

Make that Piazza Machiavelli.

None moreso than me, oh grating Sand Bear.

How about a garden of prickly pear cactus. Beautiful desert plant life, with sharp needles that sting any transients thinking about sleeping there. Unless they're already used to the pain of sharp needles piercing the skin.